AFRICA/NIGERIA - Archbishop of Jos tells Fides situation is improving

Jos (Agenzia Fides) - “The situation is in the process of gradual improvement. We had several meetings that were very fruitful, with policy makers, religious, and elders, to try to restore calm and peace in our community,” Fides learns from Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama of Jos, the capital of the Plateau State (North Central Nigeria), where in recent days serious inter-communal clashes have killed 326 people, according to an official tally.
On Wednesday, January 26, the Vice-President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, visited the city and invited the people to dialogue. In his visit, the Vice-President was accompanied by the Governors of the 6 Nigerian states (Osun, Kwara, Bauchi, Niger, Enugu, and Rivers), chosen to cover all the different geopolitical areas of the vast country. The governors “were carefully selected from each of the zone to see things for themselves and to avoid reprisal attack in other parts of the country,” said the Vice-President.
"The visit of the Vice-President has been very positive as it encouraged the people to overcome their fear," said Archbishop Kaigama.
The Archbishop of Jos also emphasizes that "there has been a decrease in the number and intensity of alarming messages arriving on mobile phones, a fact he reported in an earlier interview with Fides (see Fides 25/1/2010). "I do not know if there is a strategy behind it all, to spread them. I remember the precedent of Kenya, in 2008, when the violence was also fueled by the phone messages that instilled fear and hatred (see Fides 24/1/2008). Even at Christmas, in conjunction with the spread of rumors about possible attacks on Christian churches, messages had been sent that fuel fear among the people," recalls Archbishop Kaigama.
According to the Archbishop, some of these messages can be explained in this way: "in many cases they are ordinary people whose homes have been attacked or have seen their neighbor's house being set on fire, and they send messages alerting friends and relatives about what is happening. This occurs among both the Christian and Muslim communities."
Whatever the origin of these messages may be, according to Archbishop Kaigama they have "greatly contributed to spreading fear and thus, to fueling hatred and violence." (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 27/1/2010)